Game Day: Timberwolves (13-15) @ Suns (5-24), Sat 12/15/18

[INFORMER]

Ya'll realize we are starting 3 rookies these days?

And looking better than when we were starting 2 veteran starters from a 65-win team.

[Shabazz]

I really liked Ayton's game tonight.

[rhylek]

It's really exciting and rewarding to watch the team steadily improve in all areas as the season progresses. Our defense looks waaaay better than it did when the season started. We're getting tons of deflections, guys are really active and communicative, Ayton's timing on shot-blocking is improving and he's altering shots in the paint as a result. Our starting lineup finally has that right mix of O (Booker, Warren, sometimes Ayton), and D (Bridges, Melton, sometimes Ayton). It appears that we're attacking the glass a lot more; I loved seeing Ayton hitting the offensive glass time after time in the 4th quarter. He's learning!

In the post-game huddle with the media, Ayton talked a lot about the team's effort. One thing I love about Ayton: He is very receptive to criticism and seems super coachable. Most players with motor issues don't improve as they get older. Maybe Ayton just doesn't know what he's doing yet. He is showing flashes of being a different kind of player these past few games. Maybe Richaun is wearing off on him. Whatever it is, he played really hard tonight, didn't make any dumb decisions, stayed aggressive and outplayed KAT in the 2nd half.

A few weeks earlier I told you they needed time to get acclimated to the system. Improved defense is the best proof Igor has not lost the team. I have really hope they will turn the corner.

As for Ayton, that's just a gifted kid who never had to give effort to succeed. There's plenty of them in school and those who can't learn effort can't reach the highest level. Hopefully that's not the case with DA and he'll be our generational big.

[Superbone]

The refs just called one of the worst fouls I've ever seen on TJ.

I think they must be trying to bait him into double techs. Good for Warren in showing restraint.

[Superbone]

I'm starting to think that getting your best players back is a good thing

Yeah, weird right?

[Superbone]

So, like, we're not terrible?

Soon to be two in a row..

Way too early to say that

How about now?

[Superbone]

Wow. I think there's a real chance we could win two games in a row.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Now how about three? Won't be easy at The Garden.

[iLLmatic]

Wow. I think there's a real chance we could win two games in a row.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Now how about three? Won't be easy at The Garden.

Just play a competitive game is all I ask for.

[Xylus]

It's really exciting and rewarding to watch the team steadily improve in all areas as the season progresses. Our defense looks waaaay better than it did when the season started. We're getting tons of deflections, guys are really active and communicative, Ayton's timing on shot-blocking is improving and he's altering shots in the paint as a result. Our starting lineup finally has that right mix of O (Booker, Warren, sometimes Ayton), and D (Bridges, Melton, sometimes Ayton). It appears that we're attacking the glass a lot more; I loved seeing Ayton hitting the offensive glass time after time in the 4th quarter. He's learning!

In the post-game huddle with the media, Ayton talked a lot about the team's effort. One thing I love about Ayton: He is very receptive to criticism and seems super coachable. Most players with motor issues don't improve as they get older. Maybe Ayton just doesn't know what he's doing yet. He is showing flashes of being a different kind of player these past few games. Maybe Richaun is wearing off on him. Whatever it is, he played really hard tonight, didn't make any dumb decisions, stayed aggressive and outplayed KAT in the 2nd half.

A few weeks earlier I told you they needed time to get acclimated to the system. Improved defense is the best proof Igor has not lost the team. I have really hope they will turn the corner.

As for Ayton, that's just a gifted kid who never had to give effort to succeed. There's plenty of them in school and those who can't learn effort can't reach the highest level. Hopefully that's not the case with DA and he'll be our generational big.

Nice observation. The improvement seems more rapid than I’m accustomed to seeing.

To carey’s point about starting Melton, I agree that he should remain in the starting role for now. Even if Rivers performs well to start, I’d rather have Melton’s skillset matched with the starting lineup and have Rivers help spark the 2nd unit. Our bench needs to score buckets.

[Xylus]

Even though he didn’t score, I liked what I saw from Evans last night. He only played 13 minutes but tallied 4 assists and 6 rebounds. There was one play where there were 4 or 5 guys around the rim going for the board and Evans somehow pulled it down over all of them. He’s active.

[Mori Chu]

Here's a link to the box score:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071116

I missed this game, but it looks like everyone other than Josh Jackson had a pretty good game. I don't like having Booker come back early, but he had a nice game (28 points on 10-16 shooting, 7 boards, 7 assists). A lot of guys had strong rebounding numbers: Ayton had 12, Booker 7, Jackson 6, Evans 6, Warren 5, Bridges 5, etc. That impressed me a lot. Jamal Crawford had 7 assists, which is great for our bench unit. Bridges had 3 blocks (!).

Nice to get a couple wins. I do think we should "tank" in a general sense, but I don't think it is good for our team if we just lose every game. I want to see them play the right way and play hard.

[TOO]

I'm finally watching the game, and just imagine having to pay Andrew Wiggins 150m. *shudders*

[carey]

Here's a link to the box score:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071116

I missed this game, but it looks like everyone other than Josh Jackson had a pretty good game. I don't like having Booker come back early, but he had a nice game (28 points on 10-16 shooting, 7 boards, 7 assists). A lot of guys had strong rebounding numbers: Ayton had 12, Booker 7, Jackson 6, Evans 6, Warren 5, Bridges 5, etc. That impressed me a lot. Jamal Crawford had 7 assists, which is great for our bench unit. Bridges had 3 blocks (!).

Nice to get a couple wins. I do think we should "tank" in a general sense, but I don't think it is good for our team if we just lose every game. I want to see them play the right way and play hard.

Is he coming back early though? How do we determine that as fans? It isn't like there was a timetable. He looked basically like his old self last night. Much more explosive than when he came back last time.

[TOO]

Booker said he was healthy, he looks healthy, moving well, good lift on his shot, seems ok to me.

[Superbone]

Wow. I think there's a real chance we could win two games in a row.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Now how about three? Won't be easy at The Garden.

Just play a competitive game is all I ask for.

Works for me. The Knicks are pretty competitive at home.

[Superbone]

Even though he didn’t score, I liked what I saw from Evans last night. He only played 13 minutes and didn’t score but tallied 4 assists and 6 rebounds. There was one play where there were 4 or 5 guys around the rim going for the board and Evans somehow pulled it down over all of them. He’s active.

Yep and didn't make many major mistakes. Played within the game. He was part of the run of the game which culminated in his lob to Jackson for the two handed monster flush.

[Superbone]

Here's a link to the box score:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071116

I missed this game, but it looks like everyone other than Josh Jackson had a pretty good game. I don't like having Booker come back early, but he had a nice game (28 points on 10-16 shooting, 7 boards, 7 assists). A lot of guys had strong rebounding numbers: Ayton had 12, Booker 7, Jackson 6, Evans 6, Warren 5, Bridges 5, etc. That impressed me a lot. Jamal Crawford had 7 assists, which is great for our bench unit. Bridges had 3 blocks (!).

Nice to get a couple wins. I do think we should "tank" in a general sense, but I don't think it is good for our team if we just lose every game. I want to see them play the right way and play hard.

The Evans 6 rebounds is impressive as he was the smallest guy on the court last night. I disagree that we should tank in any form or fashion.

[Xylus]

Here's a link to the box score:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071116

I missed this game, but it looks like everyone other than Josh Jackson had a pretty good game. I don't like having Booker come back early, but he had a nice game (28 points on 10-16 shooting, 7 boards, 7 assists). A lot of guys had strong rebounding numbers: Ayton had 12, Booker 7, Jackson 6, Evans 6, Warren 5, Bridges 5, etc. That impressed me a lot. Jamal Crawford had 7 assists, which is great for our bench unit. Bridges had 3 blocks (!).

Nice to get a couple wins. I do think we should "tank" in a general sense, but I don't think it is good for our team if we just lose every game. I want to see them play the right way and play hard.

The Evans 6 rebounds is impressive as he was the smallest guy on the court last night. I disagree that we should tank in any form or fashion.

I’d rather be the 9th seed than the 15th

[Superbone]

[JeremyG]

So when is the last time we had a three-game winning streak? Do I even want to know?

EDIT: It was almost 2 years ago, in March 2017. The last time we had a 4-game winning streak was almost 4 years ago, in March 2015.